Christian Bible Institute

General Information

Director: Harold Orndorff

The trustees of the Christian Restoration Association, leaders in churches of Christ/Christian churches, are the trustees of Christian Bible Institute. The Christian Bible Institute is thus a ministry of the CRA and functions under the Christian Services Department. It is not designed as a profit-making program, and is in fact subsidized by the general fund of the CRA. The fees charged are very modest to enable all who so desire to be able to prepare themselves for greater service in the Lord. Appreciation gifts above the required fees are appreciated.

Christian Bible Institute was organized January 1, 1945, in Creswell, North Carolina. Its purpose was to offer special training for elders, deacons, teachers and other Christians to help provide more proficient leadership for the churches. Men desiring to preach the Word, though unable to attend a Bible college, gave occasion for the development of a ministerial course. This course was designed particularly for those who desired a home study opportunity and is not in competition with resident Bible colleges.

An agreement was made on June 1, 1966, between Perry F. Baldwin, founder of Christian Bible Institute, and the Christian Restoration Association which authorized the CRA to administer Christian Bible Institute, maintaining its original purpose.

Christian Bible Institute bases our approach on the truths of the Scriptures among which are the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; the Scriptures written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit; and the church as the body of Christ which He ransomed by His personal sacrifice and commissioned to preach the gospel to all the world.

Questions and Answers

Where do I find the courses offered and complete course assignments? In order to access CBI courses you must use the Canvas learning system. After you have paid the required course fees, you will receive via email an invitation to join your course(s) at Canvas. This system is found at canvas.instructure.com/login/canvas. On your first visit you will be invited to sign up for a free Canvas account. You need this in order to participate in CBI courses.

May I take just one subject? Yes. You are welcome to pick your pace and the number of courses you are taking at a given time.

Will my courses transfer to a Bible college? Correspondence courses are generally not accepted by resident schools and are not intended to be the equivalent of a college course. However, if requested, a list of your completed courses will be sent to a college for evaluation.

How soon must I finish the course? Each student works at his own rate. Proceed at a pace that makes you comfortable.

How do I pay for the course? A one-time registration fee of $15 is required. The cost of books varies. Courses are $36.00 each. This must be paid in advance.

How do I get started?Visit the CBI Course page to select the course you wish to take. First-time students must also select the Enroll Now option to pay the one-time enrollment fee.

Procedures

The CBI is in the process of moving to a completely online format. Students who take the necessary steps to enroll will be invited to join the class(es) of their choice at Canvas, a service dedicated to the online class format.

While the goal of these courses is to increase understanding of the Bible and important areas related to the Bible, you will be assisted in understanding the Bible by use of textbooks. These offer outlines of the subjects and are intended to stimulate the thinking of students. Each course is built around one textbook.

The goal of each subject is to help the student gain significant understanding of an area important in advancing the cause of Christ and His church. Students will need to read the lesson material and thoughtfully answer questions about that material in a satisfactory manner. More detailed instructions will be found for each class on the Canvas system.

Students are encouraged to ask questions via the Canvas system, which is designed to facilitate teacher-student interaction. The courses offered here should be considered a directed student-initiated study.

The course list below is current, but in the process of being revised. All courses currently available are administered through the Canvas online learning system. If you would like to look at that before signing up for a course, send your request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Current Courses Available

Biblical Studies

Acts of the Apostles

John's Epistles

The Gospel of John

History of Christianity

Church History

The Restoration Movement

Interpreting and Defending the Faith

Hermeneutics: Bible Interpretation

Apologetics: A Reasoned Defense of the Christian Faith

Theological Studies

Basic Theology

Doctrine of Grace

The New Testament Church

Tuition and Fees

Enrollment: The one-time enrollment fee for each student is $15.00.

Textbooks: Textbooks, as needed, will be available from the Christian Restoration Bookstore and will be made available to students at allowable discounts. Textbooks are subject to change without notice.

Tuition: Tuition fees of $36.00 per course.

Contact Harold Orndorff, director of the Christian Bible Institute to enroll or for more information. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..